Following the fourth anniversary of the kidnapping of more than 200 girls from school, Senators call on U.S. and Nigerian governments to defeat the terrorist organization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning Boko Haram and calling on the governments of the United States and Nigeria to swiftly implement measures to defeat the terrorist organization. April 14, 2018 marked the fourth anniversary of when more than 200 young women were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Nigeria and many are still missing or held captive. Boko Haram has engaged in multiple attacks on innocent people and has repeatedly targeted students, particularly women, for going to school. Today, Boko Haram remains a threat to innocent civilians in Nigeria, to regional security and U.S. national interests.

“Boko Haram and its ongoing threats and violence against young people and young women are abhorrent and must be stopped,”said Senator Baldwin. “The U.S. and Nigerian governments must lead the international community to take swift action to defeat this terrorist group and ensure that the young people of Nigeria can safely learn and attend school.”

“Boko Haram has conducted brutal mass kidnappings of women, girls, and boys, and is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, including the targeted killings of civilians, in northeast and central Nigeria over the last several years. This resolution recognizes the extraordinary bravery of the survivors of Boko Haram, two ofwhom I had the honor to meet with last month to listen to their stories,” said Senator Collins. “As we implement the comprehensive five-year strategy required by bipartisan legislation I authored two years ago, we will send an international signal that we will never forget the girls of Nigeria who were targeted simply because they chose to pursue an education.”

“Four years ago, I was horrified to learn that, for the mere act of seeking an education, 276 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram, robbing them of their dignity, health, and freedom. To this day, over 100 girls remain missing,” Senator Durbin said. “Congress should continue to do everything to help the Nigerian government rescue these innocent girls from the barbaric Boko Haram and return them to their families. We should all continue to work to end discrimination and violence against women and girls around the world.”

“It has been four years since the horrific kidnappings of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are not abandoned or forgotten by the international community,” said Senator Shaheen. “This resolution serves as a critical reminder of the importance of women and girls to the peace and security of nations, and it appropriately calls on the Trump administration to develop policies to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, including in partnership with the Nigerian government.”

The resolution acknowledges the efforts of the United States Government to defeat Boko Haram through development and security partnerships with Nigeria and other regional partners, and calls on the Department of State and the Department of Defense to rapidly implement a five-year regional strategy to address the grievous threat posed by Boko Haram and other violent extremist organizations.